A short narrative
Develop what happened? through a focused writing itinerary.
Writing task
An Italian friend asks why your train journey took so long. Write an informal message of 110–130 Italian words. Say where you planned to go, set the scene at the station, describe what went wrong, explain how you solved the problem, and say how the evening ended. Use «mentre», «poi», and «alla fine» to show the sequence. Keep at least two background verbs in the imperfetto and four events in the passato prossimo.
- Alla stazione c’era molta gente.· There were many people at the station.
- Mentre cercavo il binario, ho sentito un annuncio.· While I was looking for the platform, I heard an announcement.
- Poi ho preso il treno sbagliato.· Then I took the wrong train.
- Mentre aspettavo, ho sentito un annuncio.· While I was waiting, I heard an announcement.
Revision checklist
Check that the reader can identify the plan, the problem, the solution, and the ending. Underline the imperfetto forms that set the scene and the passato prossimo forms that advance the story. Check the time words and the agreement after «sono». Read the message once more for spelling and clear sentence breaks.
- Pioveva quando il treno è arrivato.· It was raining when the train arrived.
- Ero stanco, ma ho continuato il viaggio.· I was tired, but I continued the journey.
- Prima cercavo il binario; poi ho chiesto aiuto.· First I was looking for the platform; then I asked for help.
- Improvvisamente le luci si sono spente.· Suddenly the lights went out.